Tim Anderson (baseball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Anderson
Anderson with the Chicago White Sox in 2017
Free agent
Shortstop
Born: (1993-06-23) June 23, 1993 (age 32) Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
June 10, 2016, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics (through May 25, 2025)
Batting average	.276
Hits	1,088
Home runs	98
Runs batted in	350
Stolen bases	122
Teams
Chicago White Sox (2016–2023) Miami Marlins (2024) Los Angeles Angels (2025)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (2021, 2022) Silver Slugger Award (2020) AL batting champion (2019)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  United States World Baseball Classic Silver 2023 Miami Team

Timothy Devon Anderson Jr. (born June 23, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop. He is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and Los Angeles Angels.

Anderson played college baseball at East Central Community College. The Chicago White Sox chose him in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft. He started playing in MLB in 2016. Anderson was the best hitter in the American League in 2019. He won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020. He was also chosen as an All-Star in 2021 and 2022.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Tim Anderson was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was raised by his aunt and uncle. They also had three children of their own. Tim's grandfather helped him stay in touch with his father.

Anderson went to Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa. He played baseball when he was very young. But he stopped playing for a while. He focused on basketball during his first two years of high school. He broke both of his legs in his second year. In his junior year, he played both baseball and basketball. He was a left fielder in baseball and hit well. In his senior year, he played as an infielder and had a great batting average of .420. His basketball team also won the state championship that year. Anderson is about 6 feet, 1 inch tall. He decided he was likely too short to play professional basketball. So, he chose to focus on baseball.

College Baseball Career

Anderson went to East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi. This was the only school that offered him a baseball scholarship. In his first year, he hit .360. He also had four home runs, 37 runs batted in (RBIs), and stole 30 bases. But no MLB teams showed interest in him. He was not picked in the 2012 MLB draft.

He returned to East Central for his second year. This time, he had an amazing season. He led all junior college baseball players with a .495 batting average. He was named a top player in the National Junior College Athletic Association. After college, he planned to go to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Professional Baseball Journey

Starting with the Chicago White Sox

Drafted and Playing in the Minor Leagues

The Chicago White Sox picked Tim Anderson in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was the 17th player chosen overall. Anderson decided to sign with the White Sox instead of going to UAB. He received a signing bonus of over $2 million.

The White Sox sent Anderson to play for the Kannapolis Intimidators. This was a higher level than most new players start at. He hit .277 and stole 24 bases in 68 games.

In 2014, Anderson played for the Winston-Salem Dash. He broke his wrist in June and needed surgery. He played 68 games, hitting .297 with six home runs. He also stole 10 bases. When he came back in August, the White Sox moved him up to the Birmingham Barons. He hit .364 in 10 games there.

Anderson spent the 2015 season with Birmingham. He hit .312 and stole 49 bases. In 2016, he started the season with the Charlotte Knights. He hit .304 with four home runs and 11 stolen bases in 55 games.

2016 to 2019 Seasons

On June 10, 2016, Tim Anderson was called up to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut that day. He hit a double in his very first turn at bat. In 2016, Anderson hit .283 with nine home runs in 99 games for the White Sox.

Anderson tagging out Chris Taylor

Before the 2017 season, Anderson signed a six-year contract. He faced some challenges in 2017. He hit .257 and had a low percentage of walks. On defense, he made a number of errors.

In 2018, Anderson hit .240 with 20 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He continued to work on his defense. In 2019, Anderson had an amazing year. He led all of Major League Baseball with a .335 batting average. He also had career highs in hits (167) and doubles (32). He scored 81 runs.

On April 17, 2019, Anderson was involved in an on-field incident. After hitting a home run, he flipped his bat. In his next turn at bat, he was hit by a pitch. This led to both teams coming onto the field. Anderson was later suspended for one game for his actions during the incident.

2020 to 2022 Seasons

In the shorter 2020 season, Anderson hit .322. He had 45 runs, ten home runs, and 21 RBIs in 49 games. He won a Silver Slugger Award that year.

Anderson was featured on the cover of the 2021 R.B.I. Baseball video game. On July 10, 2021, he was chosen for the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. At the special MLB Field of Dreams Game on August 12, 2021, Anderson hit a walk-off home run. This means his home run won the game for the White Sox in the last inning. In 2021, Anderson hit .309 with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs in 123 games.

During a game on April 20, 2022, Anderson made some errors. He later apologized for his actions during the game. MLB suspended him for one game, but this was changed to a fine after he appealed.

On May 21, 2022, during a game against the New York Yankees, there was an argument between Anderson and Yankees player Josh Donaldson. This led to both teams coming onto the field. Donaldson was later suspended for one game for his comments.

Anderson was chosen for the All-Star team for the second year in a row in 2022. He was the starting shortstop for the American League. This was the first time a White Sox shortstop had started in the All-Star game since 1970.

On July 30, 2022, Anderson was removed from a game by the umpire after arguing. He was suspended for three games for making contact with the umpire. This suspension was later reduced to two games. On August 9, Anderson had a hand injury that ended his season. In 2022, he played in 79 games, hitting .301 with six home runs.

2023 Season

In 2023, Anderson played for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He even played at second base in one game, which was new for him.

Anderson missed some games in April due to a knee injury. He struggled with his hitting in the first half of the season. On July 29, he hit his first home run of the season. This was his first home run in over a year.

On August 5, Anderson was involved in an on-field fight with José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians. Both players were ejected from the game. Anderson was suspended for six games, and Ramírez for three. On September 3, Anderson got his 1,000th career hit.

In 2023, Anderson hit .245. The White Sox decided not to keep him for the 2024 season. This made him a free agent.

Playing for the Miami Marlins

On February 24, 2024, Anderson signed a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins. He played in 65 games for the Marlins. He hit .214 with no home runs and nine RBIs. On July 2, the Marlins decided to release him from the team.

Time with the Los Angeles Angels

On February 4, 2025, Anderson signed a contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He made the team's Opening Day roster. In 31 games, he hit .205 with three RBIs. On May 28, the Angels decided to release him from the team.

Personal Life and Community Work

Tim Anderson is married to Bria. They have two daughters and a son. The family lives in Chicago.

In 2017, Anderson's close friend passed away. This sad event inspired him to start a charity called Anderson's League of Leaders. The goal of his foundation is to help children in school and at home. It supports efforts to prevent bullying and address gun violence. Anderson is known for his charity work in Chicago. In 2019, he took 75 kids from Chicago to see the movie 42. This film is about the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson.

See also

In Spanish: Tim Anderson para niños